Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Brigadier T. L. T. Miller, O.B.E., 5-14 Punjab Regiment, who was wounded and mentioned in despatches for services in Burma

India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1936-37 (Capt. T. L. T. Miller, 5-14 Punjab R.); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Coronation 1937, very fine or better (6) £300-£360

M.I.D. London Gazette 10 June 1948 (Birthday Honours).

The following obituary was published in the Daily Telegraph on 4 May 1991:

‘Brigadier Tom Miller, who has died aged 90, had an active career in the Indian Army on the North-West Frontier and in Burma.

Thomas Lewin Thurgill Miller was born in 1901 and educated at Ipswich School and Sandhurst. He began his career on active service with the 2nd Northanptons at Landikotal on the Khyber Pass, before joining the 40th Pathans (later the 5th Battalion of the 14th Punjabis) at Nowshera. He also served with them in Mesopotamia before returning to India, where he became regimental adjutant in 1937. After further training at the Staff College, Camberley, Miller returned to his regiment in Poona. He was GSO3 at Kohat District from 1937 to 1939 and received the Frontier medal with two clasps (sic) for his part in the operations against the turbulent tribes of Waziristan and Kohat. In 1939 he was appointed Brigade Major at Allahabad, and so missed the Malayan campaign in which most of his regiment was killed - or captured at the fall of Singapore. Posted back to the frontier, Miller played his part in deterring a possible Russian advance on India via the Caucasus. Miller’s next appointment was with the 20th Indian Infantry Brigade at Bangalore, training for jungle warfare in Ceylon. He was appointed to command the 4th Battalion of the 14th Punjabis in June 1844, was wounded on the approach to the Irrawaddy and mentioned in despatches.

Miller’s next command was 25th Infantry Brigade at Campbellpur. His brigade was chosen to ascertain how far the lessons learnt in the Italian campaign would apply to the North-West Frontier. The brigade was then renumbered the 14th, and given the task of restoring order in the upper districts of the Punjab. On partition in 1947 there were so few Indian officers that Miller was hastily summoned back from leave and sent to Pakistan and then to India as director of personel services for six months. He was appointed OBE in 1948.’

Miller received a gun shot wound to the leg in 1945 when his jeep was ambushed by a Japanese patrol.

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